


Cutting Ties

by Scorpio_Karma



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Anti-Imprinting, Cannon Divergence, F/M, Heavy Angst, Moving On, Post-Eclipse, drabble/oneshot series, letting go, semi-happy ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-27
Updated: 2016-10-19
Packaged: 2018-08-18 03:49:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8148203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scorpio_Karma/pseuds/Scorpio_Karma
Summary: A series of interconnected drabbles/oneshots about letting go and moving on for yourself.





	1. How Could You

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing from Twilight nor do I profit from it.
> 
> A/N: All of these take place in Eclipse sometime after the newborn battle except for chapter 2.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam get's some upsetting information and takes it out on Leah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This is a small drabble that came to me while reading a story. I just had this one scene in my mind and decided to write it. Enjoy :)

"Leah!" Sam shouted as he beat furiously on the Clearwater's door. He had just received terribly upsetting information. He rushed over here without much tact or thought. He wanted answers now and Leah could give them to him.

After about thirty seconds there was no answer so he beat the door again this time with more force. "Leah!"

He continued to beat the door nonstop for five minutes until a disgruntled sleep deprived Leah answered nearly pulling the door off its hinges. "What?!"

"How could you?" He said with ire running through his veins as he tore past Leah into the Clearwater residence.

"How could I what?!" She said slamming the door and turning back to him.

"How could you kill our baby?"

Leah's breath caught in her throat as she processed what Sam had just said. She shut her eyes tightly taking deep breaths to control herself. Still a little jolted Leah got her composure back and opened her eyes only to be met with Sam's disheartened face.

"Look Sam, I don't really want to get into this now or _ever_ , so why don't you go home and forget whatever it is you think you know." She spoke as calmly as she could, but her words still had a bite to them.

Sam rushed towards her grabbing her shoulders. "No! We're talking about this now." He spoke with authority and she could feel the alpha order taking over her entire being and it pissed her off.

Flinging his arms off of her, she distances himself from him. "Fine! What do you want to know?" she said with malice ringing in her voice.

"Why didn't you tell me?" His nostrils were flared and his voice deepened with every word.

"Why would I? What the hell were you going to do about it?"

"I would have helped you raise him!"

"And then what? I'd be villain of the Sam and Emily love story! The ex that just won't go away. No thanks."

"It could have worked!"

"How?! With me forever being in the background of your life. Stuck with _you_. It's bad enough being in your head, but at least that has an expiration date."

"Is being near me so bad?" He sounded so meek in this moment.

"Yes! Do you have your head so far up Emily's ass that you can't see that?"

Sam felt a stinging pain from her words. "That still doesn't justify killing our baby. A life we created together."

"A life you left." Leah's eyes teared up. "A life you gave up every right to the moment you left me for my cousin, so don't stand there on your high horse like I committed some crime. You should be thankful I did what I did."

"Why would I be thankful that you killed my son without letting me have a say?!"

"Because now you can move on from me as though I was never apart of your life."

"I never wanted that." Sam said somberly.

"Well I did."


	2. I Can't Do This Any More

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jacob's done all he can do to get Bella and it's time for her to chose and him to move on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I decided to continues this as a drabble series with multiple pairing. I know most of you were wanting a continuation of Leah and Sam, but that's not this chapter, sorry, but it will be in chapters 6 and 7. Anyways this is a Bella Jacob drabble, enjoy. Also note the rating change, mostly due to this chapter, and one more that won't be as graphic as this. All of these take place sometime in Eclipse after the newborn battle except this one takes place a little bit before. There's obviously cannon divergence, but not too much has changed.

Jacob's making love with Bella for what knows will probably be for the last time. He loves seeing her like this—so uninhibited—and he knows he's the only one who ever gets to see it. He has her leg resting on his shoulder to get in at deep angle and she's working along with him to get even deeper. He loves the way she feels around him as though her pussy was only made for him, her walls perfectly molding to fit him.

Her moans get louder and he starts feeling her walls flutter. He moves his hips even faster hitting that one spot that makes her go blind and within seconds she's cumming. He thinks she looks so beautiful when she cums he has to sit back and look at her in awe.

He feels his orgasm fast approaching and he knows he has to pull out. For a brief moment he considers cumming inside her and watching her grow with his child, but he doesn't want to win her that way, so he does what he always does and pulls out and decorates her stomach with his seed. He knows she doesn't particularly like that and neither does he, but condoms weren't made for his body temperature.

She's in the shower washing his scent off so Edward won't notice while he waits in the living room to talk to her. It's time to make her choose. He's done all he can do to convince her he's what's best for her and if she doesn't choose him—which he's pretty sure she won't—he'll know that he at least tried.

She enters the room toweling her wet hair. She notices the serious look on his face immediately. Though he hasn't been the happy go lucky kid she knew in a while he still didn't reserve that look for her unless Edward was around, so she started to panic. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he says solemnly.

"Then why do you have that look on your face?"

"Because we need to talk."

Bella looks unsure, but sits down in the recliner in front of him. "Okay, what about?"

"Us, or a lack there of. I need to know who you're going to choose me or him because we can't keep going like this."

"Why not, everything's perfect-"

"For you," he cuts her off, "everything's perfect for you. I can't keep doing this, fooling myself into thinking you'll be mine forever only to have you leave every time. I need to know if it's me or him. You need to decide who you want in your life because it can't be both. It's hurts too much"

Bella has tears streaming down her face. "I don't want to lose either of you, but if I have to, it's him. It's always going to be him—I can't go through that again—I don't know who I am without him." She starts hyperventilating at the thought of losing Edward again.

Even though he prepared for it, he can't help the tears that come to his eyes. He still had a shred of hope that she'd stay with him, but now that's gone and now he has to face facts. "Okay, well then I'm going to have to ask you to leave and don't come back. And don't call me or try to send me notes. You need to cut all contact from me." It hurts him to say and hurts even more to see the broken look on Bella's face, but it had to be done—for his sanity and hers.

"Jake, please don't do this. I don't want to lose my best friend." It's almost too hard for him to understand her with the sobs wracking her body, but he gets the message clearly.

"I have to. I can't do this anymore." He's crying hysterically with her and she lunges from her seat and wraps her arms around him. They stay like that until they've both been cried out and Bella can't find an excuse to stay. He doesn't hear from her again until he gets a wedding invitation a month later.


	3. I'm Not Cheating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...and he isn't, but it sure feels like it.

Quil has always been a simple man. His interests didn't really go past cars and woman, so when he imprinted on Claire he felt like his life now had direction, reason, and meaning. He was still simple minded, but cars and women were now replaced with her.

Of course none of that replaced his libido. He was after all still a hormonal teenaged boy whose body got put into overdrive with werewolfism, so when a pretty blonde girl comes up to him and offers him sex in a restaurant bathroom he's out of his seat faster than she can even finish her sentence.

Issues don't arise until his pants are down and he's about to enter her. Claire invades his mind and his dick gets soft immediately. He felt as though he was cheating on her even though their relationship was nowhere near becoming romantic for at least another two decades. After an apology and a lot of embarrassment on both their parts he goes home defeated.

He tries again on a different woman later this time a brunette and the same thing happens. He was doomed to be a virgin until Claire became of age and that thought disturbed him. That he was essentially waiting for a little girl to grow up in order to have sex. There was obviously more to it, but at that moment that's what it felt like it came down to. He briefly thinks about distancing himself from her life, but at the thought he feels automatically weighed down until it leaves his mind.

Thing don't reach a level of unbearable ridiculousness until he's alone in his bedroom rubbing one out thinking of various women doing various naughty things to him when Claire pops in again and just like all the times before he becomes soft. He can't fathom why thinking about other women makes him feel like he's cheating, all he knows is that it's preventing him from getting off in any form.

This was the final straw for him, he had to do something about this. He didn't care how much devotion he had for her—he had the right to sate his libido. He thought about distancing himself from her once again, but the weight came back with more vigor. Just thinking about leaving her caused so much pain, he didn't know if he could handle actually doing it, but he knew he had to.

He had to be careful with his thoughts and how he phrased them in his mind as he thought of ways to physically force him to stay away from her. He thought about renting a storage unit to lock himself in until he could leave her, but he knew he'd be able to break out of that easily. He thought of chaining himself to various items like trees and poles, but he knew he would be able to break out of them.

It's not until he see Jacob walking around on crutches that inspiration strikes. Though he had healed weeks ago, he was force to walk around like that to keep up appearances. Quil remembers how he couldn't move for days, nor did he really want to, but that's beside the point. If he was going to in pain the entire time he was a way from Claire, he might as make sure it was debilitating.

He asks Embry to break his legs.

"You want me to what?" He asks confused with his friend's request.

"I want you to break my legs." He says each word slowly so that his friend understands.

"Why?"

"It doesn't matter why. I just need you to do me this favor. I need you to break my legs and make sure I can't go anywhere." He doesn't want his reason getting to the pack.

"I'm not just gonna break your legs without an explanation."

"I can't tell you!"

"Well then I can't break your legs!"

Quil closes his eyes and breathes out a calming breath, "please…just please do this one favor for me. I'm desperate, man."

Seeing the look on his best friend's face is what does it and so three days later they meet at a storage unit when he breaks every bone in Quil's lower body with him chained to the wall. It hurt like a bitch, but he's thankful for it nonetheless. It gives him something to focus on besides the crushing weight in his chest.

When his bones are almost healed and he still feels the urge to run to Claire, he asks Embry to do it again—and again—and again, until about three weeks pass and he knows he can live without her. He still feels the pull towards her, but he's now in control of his mind and body. He knows the imprint isn't broken, but it doesn't have the same hold over him. His life now no longer revolves around this little girl and now her life has the possibility to revolve around whoever she wants—and he's happy about that.

Of course the pack noticed his absence—after all he did miss all of his patrol shifts for three weeks—but Embry _and_ Jacob covered for him. They didn't know why he put himself through that, they just knew it was important and they did what friends did and supported him.

It wasn't until he came to a bonfire with a local girl who was so clearly his date that they understood. And it wasn't until they saw him kiss the girl with no hesitation that jealousy festered in one of his brothers.


	4. I Need You To Be Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rachel isn't adjusting to imprint life as well as she should.

Rachel Black was going places. She got into university and was studying to become a psychiatrist. The human mind and what motived people always fascinated her. Of course none of these plans she had for herself involved staying in La Push and she liked it that way. That place held too many memories for her—good and bad—and she couldn't cope.

It's not until years later that she thinks she can handle them. She hasn't seen her brother or her father since she left for college and it was taking its toll. So when she's off for the summer she comes back for a visit without any warning. Of course, with her luck no one's home when she gets there and she's left to her own devices in the house she grew up in. The memories become too much so she decided to go to First Beach.

She didn't know such a decision would change her life forever, but can't say she completely regrets it. She's enjoyed her time with Paul, getting to know a side of him that no one else does, but what she doesn't like is the obligation that comes with him needing her.

Her plans were to go back to college once the summer was over and finish her degree, but know that he's imprinted on her, she can't leave. She can't stand the physical look of pain he's in every time she brings it up and she can't stand being another woman in his life who's supposed to love him only to end up leaving him.

So that's how she ends up stuck in a life she doesn't want in a place she never wanted to be in with only Paul as her reason for getting up in the morning. She tries to mingle with the other imprintees, but everyone was just too accepting of this fate. Like they didn't mind that their entire lives had just been derailed with just the look of the eyes. Emily seemed like the worst to her. Sam had not only stopped her from going other places with her life, but he'd also disfigured her for life and yet she seemed like she couldn't be happier. Leah was the only person she felt would understand her on some level, but she never wanted to talk to her which Rachel could respect.

It's not until Paul sees how miserable she is that he realizes that their imprint if fucked up somehow. Instead of him being what _she_ needs, she's being what _he_ needs. He goes to the elders to ask about it, but they didn't know anything other than what the legends told them and because it was supposed to be such a rare occurrence there wasn't much to go on. All they tell him is that their supposed to be together and he shouldn't fight it.

That pisses him off. He's never been one who liked to be told what to do, but basically they just told him to keep his imprint unhappy and he _and_ his wolf weren't okay with that. So when he tells her to leave him and go back to college everyone's shocked. They were made for each other and every way and he just chose to throw that away.

"Why?" Rachel asks him teary eyed.

"Because you don't need me."

"What makes you think that?" she caresses his cheek softly.

He smiles solemnly at her. "You think I don't see how unhappy you are. You think I can't see the light in your eyes dimmed every second you have to stay here. I'm not what you need—this place isn't what you need. So go live your life without me. Be happy."

"But you need me. I don't want to be another person who abandons you."

He gently puts her head between his palms. "You're not abandoning me. You're just doing what's best for you and that's all I need from you."

And that was all she needed to be happy again. Of course she didn't cut off all communication from him he was—after all—someone who meant something to her; she just no longer had to build her life around him.

That was the most mature thing Paul had ever done in his life and the ache he felt with her gone wasn't so bad because he was finally being who she needed him to be. Maybe one day when he could finally leave La Push they could be together, but for now they were both content where they were.


	5. You're Not You Anymore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He's not the man she fell in love with anymore.

Kim had been in love with Jared since the third grade. She loved everything about him from his kind personality—to his sense of humor—to his completely gorgeous looks. So when he imprinted on her and stopped treating her like she didn't exist it was a dream come true. He was now finally hers and nothing was going to change that. He was completely devoted to her, so what could go wrong with that.

 _Everything,_ she thought one evening when a bathroom break is the only alone time she can get. There's no distance between them, he's with her nearly 24/7. The only break she gets is school and patrol and those have even started to wane since Victoria's no longer a threat and school let out for the summer. She doesn't know how to tell him he's smothering her because every time she even suggests he goes home he guilt's her into letting him stay. This is not how she imagined being with him would be.

And it's not just the smothering, his personality's different, not the man she fell in love with. He's still kind and has a sense of humor, but it seems more dulled now. He used to watch football every Sunday religiously, but now he spends every Sunday with her watching the trashy reality shows she likes. She tried to turn on the game once, but he just outright refused to watch it because "it's not what you want" and flipped the channel right back to MTV.

He used to have other friends that he had to dump because he hadn't learned how to control his wolf yet, but now he was basically in complete control and he hadn't even made an effort hang out with them again. In fact, he barely made an effort to hang out with his pack brothers when it wasn't necessary. She had taken over his entire life and thus taken away what she loved about him.

Sure, he was everything she needed, but no longer everything she wanted and that's why when she got an acceptance letter to University of Chicago, she accepted immediately without even consulting him. She knows it was a rash decision and one she wasn't completely sure about because it's not only him she's leaving—her family's here—but she knows they'll understand and it's not like she's leaving forever.

She just wants to be free of him, free to do something without him and that's what she tells him when she announces her departure to college. He's obviously shocked and heartbroken, but mainly confused.

"Why do you want to leave me? I thought this is what you wanted."

She stares at him silently as she thinks of the best way to tell him what exactly is wrong with their relationship. "You were everything I ever wanted since I was ten years old—but now—but now you're not him. You're not the same guy whose jokes I used to crack up at. You're not the same football fanatic who never missed a Seahawks game—you're just a guy who does whatever I say and I don't want that. I want you—the real you—not this complacent version. I can't do it anymore, that's why I'm leaving. It won't be gone forever, but maybe when I get back things can go back to normal."

"If things were back to normal I wouldn't even be looking in your direction Kim!" He snaps.

"Well that's better than this!"

"You don't mean that—you don't mean that Kim!" He grabs her shoulders. "I'm your soulmate. I'm everything you're ever going to want or need. Don't do this to us." He was getting desperate.

Kim slaps him across the face, "Would you listen to yourself! You sound like in a cult! What's wrong with you?!" She shoves him away from her.

"What's wrong with me?—what's wrong with you?! You have true, absolute love standing right in front of you and you just want to throw that away."

"But I don't! I have a clingy errand boy with a striking resemblance to the man I used to love."

He gets in her personal space again, but this time more gently. He lightly caresses her cheek with his palm and puts his forehead against hers with tears running down both of their faces. "Please don't do this. I don't know how to live without you—I don't know who to be."

"And that's the problem. I have to leave for your sake and mine. I want _you_ back—the real you—and the only way to do that is if I leave." She pauses to sniffle. "You did it once before you can do it again."

"But I don't want to."

"Well we don't always get what we want."


	6. Why Do You Love Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam's not sure if it's him or the imprint.

Sam's would always live in the shadow of his father. Everybody, his mother included, were afraid he'd end up just like him. So he did everything in his power to make sure that wouldn't happen and in return he got Leah—someone you definitely had to be good to get. When she showed up in his life people thought less and less he'd become Joshua Uley because she was someone who definitely could keep him in line, but when he imprinted on Emily all of the credibility he had built went straight out the window. His mother couldn't understand her son's decision and thus their relationship became even more strained that it already was and everyone on the reservation outside of the Elders and the pack thought he was a lying cheating bastard. But he didn't care—couldn't care—because Emily was everything to him, so it was worth all the losses in his life. Until it wasn't.

He's pretty sure he wasn't supposed to find out, but he did. It was one random throw away thought from Leah that had him questioning what she meant in his free time. _I can never get pregnant again._ He knew that was in reference to her now nonexistent period, but it was the _again_ part that troubled him. _What did she mean by again?_ He kept asking himself until he got the answer through Seth.

In Seth's defense, he didn't mean to say anything, but it slipped. He remembered the mess Leah had been right after their breakup and finding her on the bathroom floor surrounded by white sticks that all had the same result. He was sworn to secrecy and had upheld that promise until one slipped thought while on patrol with the wrong person.

He was furious when he found out—didn't even stop to think what he was doing before barging over to the Clearwater's and releasing his anger on Leah. It didn't go how he wanted it to. He expected at least an apology, but apparently he had lost that privilege. In fact he lost a lot of things simply because he looked into her eyes—a moment he would never forget even if he tried.

After that conversation he started thinking—about everything he loved about Emily which he could undeniably say was everything, but he couldn't differentiate if that was the imprint or his actual feelings. He remembers what it was like to love Leah and he remembers specifics—what he liked and didn't like about her, but he couldn't do that with Emily. He couldn't feel annoyed with anything she did even if it was something he didn't like—he couldn't feel anything negative about her and that was disconcerting.

So one afternoon when she's putting the groceries away he asks, "what do you love about me?"

She gives him a warm smile and continues putting food away. "Well you're warm…kind…do whatever I asks without complaint and you're always there when I need you. I can't find that anywhere else." She gives him a loving smile when she finishes.

"But I asked you what you love about _me,_ not what you love about the _imprint_."

She looks at him confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly what I said. What do you love about me? You just listed things I am to you because of the imprint—things I have to be. Surely there are other things you like about me that are just _me_."

Emily pulls her eyebrows together in thought thinking about what he just said. _What do I love about him?_ She's sure there are lots of things. She remembers when Leah would talk about him to her over the phone how jealous she would feel about not having someone like him in her life and now she has him. So why was it so hard to come up with this list?

"Well what's the difference? Are you telling me you wouldn't be this way if you didn't imprint on me?"

"Technically no because I'd still be with Leah, but if I was with you—without the imprint—I don't know if I would be different. I don't know who I am without you anymore."

She walks over to him and puts her hand on his face. "You're Sam Uley—alpha and protector of this tribe—and the man I want to spend the rest of my life with."

He smiles at her sadly. "Yeah, but I used to be more."


	7. We Can't Go Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam wants his life back.

He's at her door again this time with less force. He hasn't felt this light hearted in years. When she opens the door with a scowl on her face he can't help but smile at her. Her scowl turns to a confused look at his smile. "What's up with you?"

"I left Emily."

Her eyes widen at the news. "I'm…happy...for you?" she's says not quite sure what to say.

He shoves past her into the house and she follows him into the living room. "I know isn't it great." He says almost enthusiastically.

"Yeah I guess, but that doesn't explain why you're here." She takes a seat on the couch.

"Didn't you hear what I just said, I left Emily."

"Yeah, heard it loud and clear. What do you want me to do about it?"

He kneels down in front of her and grabs hold her hands. "Nothing, don't you get it—we could get back together—get our lives back."

She forcefully takes her hands out of his. "What is wrong with you—get out lives back—I think we're one too many imprints and fursplosions in to have that happen. What do you expect? For me to just forget about the hell you put me through and go back you like nothing's happened."

"Well I obviously don't expect _you_ to forget, but that doesn't mean build our way back to that."

"Yes it does. We're not the same people we were back then—too much has happened—I'm not even sure I'm still in love with you anymore."

"But you did love me and if you did it once you can do it again. We could be those people again."

"No-we-can't." She says it slowly in hopes he hear her clearly. "Just because you're free of Emily doesn't mean you'll just revert back to your old self, or that I'd revert back too. We're stuck being these people and the only thing to do is move forward. I hope you didn't her leave just to get me back because if that's the case you need to march your ass right back to her."

"So it's okay for you kill our baby because of me, but it's not okay for me to leave Emily because of you?" Anger had replaced his previous excitement and he wasn't pulling any punches.

Leah's face hardened at the mention of her abortion. "It wasn't about you. It was about _me_. I did what was best for _me_. Not to hurt you—not to punish you—not to push you out of my life. I just did what was best for me to be able to move on with my life and I wouldn't have been able to do that as a single mother stuck with a child I'd inevitably resent because it reminded me too much of _you._ No child should grow up like that."

"No—no child should grow up like that, but I still should have gotten a say in it."

"We've been over this already, so move on—I have." She gets up and overs to the door and opens it gesturing for him to leave. As he's about to leave she says one last thing. "Look Sam, you need leave Emily for _you_ —because if it's for anybody else, it's just not worth it. Maybe one day we can get back together, but it's not going to be like this—it's not going to be like it was before, so let go of that and just focus on moving forward."

He gives her a small smile. "Thanks Lee." He says softly and leaves.


	8. Old Friend Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After five years Bella comes back and visits Jacob.

Bella's finally in a place in her life where she can come back. She'd avoided this place since the wedding. She didn't know how to come back to the place she screwed up the most, but she realizes now that that was a part of growing up. She was finally okay with the mistakes she made because they're a part of who she is.

She finds him in the _Taj Mahal,_ which is fitting because this was the place it all began. Where she first started to doubt how much she love Edward because of one person who brought sunshine to her dreary world.

He, of course, isn't surprised that there's someone in his shed, but what does surprise him is who it is. He hasn't seen her in five years, not since she made her choice to marry the icicle.

"Hey?" he says with a note of uncertainty.

"Hey." She waves at him awkwardly.

"I heard you were in California." He says.

"Yeah, I own a bookstore in Paradise." She says.

"Yeah your dad told us." He says.

"I guessed as much." She says.

"Well, what are you doing here?" he asks.

"What? I can't visit an old friend just because I want to?" she challenges.

"Considering how we left things—not really." Though he's got a smile on his face he's completely serious.

Bella's eyes move downcast to the floor in uncertainty and kick some nonexistent dirt. "Yeah well I wanted to see you anyway—I want to see how you were." She looks him in the eye, "how are you doing?"

"Good, you?"

"I'm doing great." She gives him a smile that doesn't have underlying darkness for the first time.

"Well I'm glad to hear that—really—it's been a while since I've you genuinely smile."

"Yeah, well once I got over myself and started figuring out who I was and what I wanted—it got easier to be happy." The garage goes silent for a little bit. "So I hear you own a garage. That's nice—I always knew you'd make something of yourself. You had too many skill sets not to."

He laughs at her lame attempt at a joke. "Yeah, well, werewolf wasn't all that lucrative, so I needed to make money somehow—why not something I love."

"You always liked fixing things." She walks further into the shed and sees the dismantled backseat of a car that functioned as a couch. So many memories on that couch. It's where she first started falling for him—where the hole in her chest started feeling better—and where she lost her virginity and subsequently complicated everything having to do with Jake.

"A man's gotta have hobbies." He says following her line of sight and remembering the same things as her. "You want to sit down?" He offers and she doesn't quite know what to do so she accepts silently. He wipes the oil off his hands and goes to sit right next to her.

They sit there awkwardly in silence until they both decided to break it at the same time overlapping their words.

"I'm sorry"

"This is weird."

They both laugh and then he gestures for her to go first. "I'm sorry—about how I left things—about not coming to see you after not going through with the wedding—it's just things were so complicated and I need time to myself _without_ you and without Edward. I could keep going like I was."

He smiles at her. "I get it and while I was sad you didn't come to see me—I was happy that you chose _life_."

Things flowed better after that. They caught up with everything in each other's lives since they'd last seen each other. Bella got a degree in English and had had a few steady boyfriends, but none that stuck. They were both getting to be too serious for her, which she acknowledges is weird coming from her, but she's not ready for marriage—doesn't know if she'll ever be.

Jacob got his GED and mechanic's license. He got a loan from the tribe and started Black's Auto & Associate which has a steady flow of customers who are happy to not have to deal with Dowling's overpricing and terrible work ethic. He has had no steady girlfriends, but has a steady flow of one night stands. He too learned that declaring your love to the first girl that showed interest was foolish. He's enjoying the bachelor life isn't looking for anything too serious yet. Sam's still the alpha, but they don't patrol as much as they used to—haven't had vampires in the area since the Victoria.

"So how's the pack?"

"Umm…they're good. Quil has a new girlfriend which I'm pretty sure he's going to screw up soon because he always does. He and Embry work at the shop with me—as do all the other wolves. Jared and Kim just got married which no one thought was going to happen when she left him for college, but they made their way back to each other. Paul is pretty much the same—though he's a lot calmer. Seth just graduated High School—after having to spend an extra year due extended absences, so we're really proud of him since we had to get GEDs. Oh Sam and Leah just started dating—god knows how well that's gonna go."

"Wait—what happened to Emily?" she asks genuinely surprised.

"Oh you didn't know? They broke up—like right after you left. No one was expecting it and no one—not even Leah—knows how he did it. All we know is that he didn't break the imprint, just figured out a way to be away from her."

"Aww, I'm going to miss her." she says genuinely sad.

"Yeah, I miss her homemade muffins."

"Jake!" she says as she slaps him across the chest.

"What? Leah's a terrible cook." He says in defense.

"So, she was more than just a maid to you. You should miss more about her."

"I do. I just miss her cooking the most." She slaps him again.

"I'm kidding Bella. And it's not like I don't talk to her—I do call her from time to time."

"Well that's good. It's nice to see you're still in touch with her. So how is she?"

"Great as far as I know. She's back in Neah Bay and teaching at the community college. I think she has a boyfriend but I don't know if she's still with him. I haven't called her in a few months."

"I thought you said you kept in touch?"

"I said I call from time to time, not all the time."

"Well it seems like things have improved since I left."

"They have, but not because you left."

"I know."

She couldn't help but think about the Cullen's and how they couldn't pick up and move on. They were stuck in time for eternity. She wishes she could go back to Edward—make him happy for eternity, but she's not that girl anymore. She's not even sure he'd like the girl she is now, so the thought was moot.

They talk some more, but just easy conversation. It's not until it's dark out that she gets up to leave.

"I had fun catching up." She tells him standing at her car. The truck died on her years ago, so she has a white Camry.

"Yeah I did to. You should visit more often." He leans in close into her personal space staring at her lips. They gravitate closer until they kiss softly.

They pull away from each other. "Yeah I should." She says slowly before getting in her car and leaving.

Both of them know the kiss doesn't mean anything, so neither expects anything from the other when she comes back and visits again. It was just nice familiarity that for once doesn't have the power to ruin everything. They'll always be in each other's lives whether as a couple or as friends because their relationship was built on much stronger things than just attraction.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end of this series. I might do a Jacob and Renesmee if requested. I didn't really want to do it because it doesn't fit into this universe since she doesn't exist here. I probably will do a bonus chapter with Bella and Edward for more on what she's been up to, but I mainly didn't do it here because I didn't quite know where to put it since my main focus was the wolf pack. I hoped you enjoyed and it didn't get too repetitive. :)


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